The Pools Casino Review

I don't know if I'm showing my age here, but when I got around to writing this ThePools.com review, memories came flooding back from when The Pools was very much an offline affair in the '80s and '90s. Every Thursday, the Pools man did his rounds in our area, as did many others up and down the United Kingdom, collecting filled-in slips from home punters betting on the classic Football Pools. This review looks at how times have changed and what the online version offers to the modern gambler.

What Is The Pools? 

Traditionally, "The Pools" was a betting pool based on predicting the outcome of top-level British football matches that would take place in the coming week. The Pools are typically cheap to enter. The most popular game was called the Treble Chance, which has now been branded as the Classic Pools game. Players pick 10, 11 or 12 football games from the offered fixtures to finish as a draw, in which each team scores at least one goal. The player with the most accurate predictions wins the top prize, or a share of it if more than one player has the same predictions. 

Roll on today and with online gambling taking precedence over many land-based gambling establishments like Arcades, Betting Shops and Bingo Halls, it comes as no surprise that The Pools is now an online gambling site. Launched in 2018, ThePools.com has stayed true to its roots, still offering the classic Pools Games, but has also added additional gambling products including The Pools Casino, Sportsbetting, Virtual Betting, eSports Betting and Live Casino Games. 

The team have done a grand job with the website design. The UI and UX are fantastic, so it's easy to access every little bit of information and different types of games and matches across all devices. In this review, we will be looking at everything that The Pools offer to help you make an informed decision on whether this is the right gambling site for you or not.

Is ThePools.com Legit?

The Pools is very much a legitimate online gambling site, and with such an introduction above, we think we can keep this section short. Since The Pools is a household name and is licensed by the UK Gambling Commission, we deem both factors an excellent indication of how safe this site is. Furthermore, we can see that the highest levels of SSL encryption technology are used at the ThePools.com site to keep your personal details safe and away from snooping eyes. 

The Pools New Player Sign Up Offers

As a new customer at The Pools, you have the option of claiming their new customer welcome offer. Depending on what you want to bet on, will determine which offer you should go for. We will go into detail about The Pools Casino and The Pools Online Betting below, but as a new player, you can opt for one of the following welcome offers below. The Pools Casino is also very well known for offering no wagering bonuses and fair offers affordable to all, including minimum deposit bonuses and deposit £10 get free spins bonuses. Make sure you give each bonuses terms and conditions a once over, as it's important to know crucial bonus features such as wagering requirements, restricted payment methods, time validity - that sort of thing,

The Pools Promotions

Bonuses and offers arent just reserved for new players, this operator knows only too well that all customers need to be looked after. This is why there's a full-on promotion schedule no matter if you're betting on sports, playing slots or live casino games. To find out what's currently happening, check under the 'Promotions' tab on the main Pools.com site. You'll most likely find B.I.G. Football & Horse Racing offers, Acca Boosts, Daily Betting Bundles, Free Bets and information on the Pools Loyalty Club.

If it's casino offers you're looking for, aside from the nice Pools Casino welcome offer above, existing members can also take advantage of various casino promotions. You'll find all details about the current offers under the 'Casino Hub' tab. We're not exaggerating when we say this; there are loads of daily casino promotions offering extras on popular games like Monopoly, Megaways and Rainbow Riches Slots, plus entries into Drops and Win Tournaments, Free Spins specials, Mid Week Slots Tournaments and Mid Week Tournaments. 

💡 There are offers on The Pools games as well. If you're interested in playing Classic pools, you could be in the running to win up to £290K or, as another example on the type of offers available, you can stake £30 on Classic Pools games and £30 or more in casino slot wagers to receive extra free spins. As mentioned, all details about every one of the Pools promos are available on the website.

The Pools Casino

Just like the sports betting possibilities, The Pools Casino boasts plenty of games and slots suitable for all types of casino players. The interface is well designed: it's easy to search and browse games under each type and game provider, which we think is a great idea. Games are provided by a long list of premium game vendors, including Microgaming, Slingo, AGS, Just For The Win, 1x2, Skywind, High5, Netent, Slot Factory, BluePrint, Habanero, Big Time Gaming and a few others.

Online Slots

Slots are a big part of the equation at The Pools Casino. There's a long list of popular slots available, including Rainbow Riches, Ted, Fishin' Frenzy, Bonanza, The Goonies Return, Book of Toro, Taco Brothers and Bompers. What we found particularly helpful was being able to find games in different categories, for example, if you want to play Monopoly slots then they're all there under Monopoly Slots. The same goes for Slingo Games, Rainbow Riches Slots, Pragmatics Drop & Wins Slots and also Progressive Jackpots. On the subject of Progressive jackpots, The Pools Casino has a large and varied selection, from Mega Moolah (The Original) Sisters Of Oz Wow Pot, Mega Moolah Goddess, Immortal Romance Mega Moolah, and Queen of Alexandria Wowpot. The progressives at The Pools Casino tend to be Microgaming focused - but that's only a good thing!

Table Games & Live Games

Not everything at The Pools Casino is about slots, however. If you're looking to play RNG table games or live dealer casino games, you will find plenty as well. Again, neatly bunched together by game type, opt for games under the table games categories, where you will find classic games such as Big 500x Roulette, Realistic Roulette, 4 Card Poker, Casino War, 20p Roulette, Zappit, Texas Holdem Plus, Blazing Roulette, Double Bonus Bonus Poker, Super Fun Extreme 21 and European Roulette.

Live casino games come in their droves; you can find them under the 'Live Casino' tab at the top - they are located in their own area entirely. The Pools Casino is the place to head if you love live dealer casino games. Live games are provided by Evolution and Pragmatic Play and include most of the top live games available at most leading UK casinos today. Try your hand at Lightning Roulette, Blackjack Party, Lightning Blackjack, Immersive Roulette, Dream Catcher First Person, American Roulette, 2 Hand Casino Holdem, Three Card Poker, Blackjack Silver, Lightning Dice and Caribbean Stud Poker.

The Pools Sports Betting

The Pools rivals any other established and new betting site with what's on offer, in terms of sports betting options, odds and markets. Currently, there are over 30 different sports available to bet on, with a good selection of markets for each. The main markets that you'll find here include Football, Golf Horseracing, Boxing, Basketball, Cricket, Cycling, MMA, Greyhound Racing, with lesser-known sports available including Pool, GAA Hurling, Gaelic Football, Snooker and Politics. 

In-Play Betting & Live Streaming

At the time of writing this review, The Pools does not accommodate live streaming services on their site. What you can do, however, is get up-to-date information on the progress of matches through the In-Play betting section, which is located on the home page of the platform. The sports that you can live bet on are as follows:

• Football
• Tennis
• Darts
• Tennis
• Hockey
• Basketball
• Snooker
• Esports
• Volleyball
• Badminton

Virtual Sports

It comes as no surprise that Virtual sports have become increasingly popular over the past couple of years, particularly during and post-pandemic when there are no live games to wager on. Luckily, this isn't the case as much nowadays but if you do fancy betting on Virtual Sports, The Pools has a decent amount available. Located under its own section at the top of the site, you can bet on World Cup Footy, Cycling, Motor Racing Horse Racing (Flat), Horse Racing (Fences) and Horse Racing Sprints. Once you've placed your bets, you can watch the virtual games live, so you know the progress and the results first hand.

Esports Betting

Another type of online betting seeing a meteoric rise is esports betting, and The Pools offers a good selection. Navigate easily in the Quick Links menu on the home page to find all available esports betting options. You can bet on a handful of competitions on any of the following games: CS: GO, Dota 2 Arena of Valor, StarCraft II, Rainbow Six, League of Legends, World of Warcraft, Starcraft BroodWar, Wild Rift, King of Glory, Rocket League and Valorant. Those looking for an esports betting site should be pretty impressed with what's on offer here.

The (Classic) Pools Betting

Pools betting may have somewhat gone out of fashion from its heyday but it's still available. The beginning of the National Lottery sank its popularity in a significant way during the 1990s, but if you still want to take a punt on the Pools, it's there for everyone to enjoy. If not, we do believe that the more modern Pools Sports Book and Casino do a terrific job in offering plenty of contemporary betting and casino options.

ThePools.com Mobile

Naturally, The Pools has a fully-optimised mobile website that is accessible across all devices and platforms. The Pool also has a highly-rated betting app for both Android and iOS, available via the Apple and Google Play stores, but if you don’t want to download the app, then The pools betting site works perfectly fine on all mobile browsers. The Pools on mobile brings all the site’s functionalities straight to your mobile device, including all the sports, in-play betting, virtual sports, live casino games, online slots, online scratchcards, special offers, classic betting pools, and all the other markets that are available on the Pools desktop.

Banking Options: Payment Methods Available

Not the largest of options when it comes to banking methods, but this is often the case with gambling operators accepting UK players only. However, we do not anticipate anyone having issues when getting started at thepools with the banking methods that are available.

Depositing

The only deposit methods available at The Pools is Visa, Mastercard (both Debit Only) and Visa Electron. Unfortunately, you won't be able to use PayPal here, though we hope that it gets integrated as soon as possible since it's a highly popular gambling payment method. The minimum deposit is £10 which will also trigger most casino bonuses and betting offers nicely. 

To deposit, simply log into your account (if you haven't got one, you can visit the Pools and create one). Once your account is up and running, click on the green deposit button at the top of the screen. Enter your card details and deposit amount and then you'll be good to go! It's at this point where you can add deposit limits if required. Upon completion of a successful deposit, your funds will appear instantly on your account balance.

Withdrawing

If you've had a successful time betting at The Pools and you want to get your hands on your winnings rather than leaving them in your account or using them for forthcoming wagers, then withdrawing is also a piece of cake. To withdraw, simply click on your name at the top right of the screen on the desktop site (or tap your balance if you are in the app) and then click on withdraw. Once there you only need to select your chosen payment method, enter the withdrawal amount and then it's pretty much done. The minimum deposit amount is set at £10.

Withdrawals will take between 1-3 working days, depending on the payment method selected. Ensure that your account is up to date with your correct details and you've provided ThePools.com with any required KYC (Know Your Customer) verification documents to avoid any holdups. Because The Pools is a UKGC licensed gambling site - once you request a withdrawal, you won't be able to cancel it.

Customer Support

There are numerous ways to get help as and when you need it at The Pools. The most convenient way is to contact the team via the Live Chat facility - which is available by clicking the little speech-bubble icon on the right-hand side of the screen. The live chat support is professional, helpful and friendly. You can also email the team, give them a call - or, if you want to give Royal Mail some business, you can write to them. All details about how to contact the team can be found on the 'Contact Us' page on ThePools website. 

Support opening times are Monday - Saturday from 8.30 am until 10 pm and Sunday from noon until. 10 pm. You will be responded to pretty quickly, but if you find yourself outside of opening hours, your query will be handled ASAP when the department opens the next day. We also advise checking out the comprehensive FAQ section (available in the footer) for most answers you'll need.

The Pools Sister Casino Sites

Unsurprisingly, The Pools is a standalone brand and as such, doesn't have any sister casino sites to name its own. The brand uses its own fabulous proprietary software, and we guess with such an iconic brand, means there's no need for other sister gambling sites or casinos to take the spotlight away. If you are looking for sister sites, we can recommend checking these out, which are the newest sister sites we've reviewed to date.

The Pools Review - Our Verdict

We're super impressed with everything this modern gambling site has to offer. We love the fact that such an iconic - if not a nostalgic brand has done a great job getting itself online but also keeping its roots close by still offering classic Pools gambling options. Add on some modern betting and casino options, and you have a very decent, all-around online gambling site. For those looking for a new betting site, we recommend the Pools because of the marvellous choice of sports and betting markets but also because of the amount of betting offers and bonuses for new and existing customers. 

Those looking to join and play casino games will find a simple but effective casino offering only the best slots and casino games. The Pools also scores highly when it comes to customer service and security - so all the important aspects are covered nicely too. 

In order to provide you with an unbiased and genuine review, what could The Pools improve on? There isn't much, but for the sake of saying it, we do think that the deposit/withdrawal options could be enhanced, especially by adding some extra e-wallet options like PayPal, Skrill and Neteller. The betting options are prolific, but the only disappointment here is the lack of live streaming options. But we're willing to overlook that because we really enjoyed betting there when writing this Pools review.  The bottom line is that we're more than happy to recommend The Pools, both for betting and casino play, it's most certainly a safe and reputable UK gambling site to join. You can find out more below.

The Pools Casino Alternatives 

If you've already tried out The Pools Online Casino and fancy checking out another one, check the casino sites we've listed below, which are just as good as what The Pools Casino offers but have a slightly different experience and theming.